The present invention relates to a paper re-feeding apparatus of an image forming apparatus, which re-feeds paper, on which an image has been formed by an image forming section, to the image forming section to form images on the both surfaces of the paper, or to form overlaid images on the paper.
A double-side copying machine for forming copy images on the both surfaces of paper is widely known as a recently developed image forming apparatus such as an electrographic copying machine.
Such a double-side copying machine includes a copying apparatus and a paper re-feeding apparatus. In the double-side copy mode, an image is formed on one surface of paper by an image forming section of the copying apparatus. Then, the paper is turned by the paper re-feeding apparatus and fed to the image forming section again. Another image is formed on the other surface of the paper by the image forming section.
The paper re-feeding apparatus is arranged below the copying apparatus. The paper re-feeding apparatus includes a convey mechanism for conveying and turning paper. The convey mechanism includes components of a convey path such as paper convey rollers, paper guides, and a switching gate.
The convey mechanism can be separated into an upper convey unit and a lower convey unit with respect to the convey path so that paper can be removed when the paper is jammed in the convey path. More specifically, the upper convey unit is fixed, whereas a rear side of the lower convey unit is pivotally fixed to a rear side of the upper convey unit. When a front side of the lower convey unit is pivoted downward at a predetermined angle, the convey path between the upper and lower convey units is exposed, thereby allowing removal of the paper jammed in the convey path.
In the convey mechanism described above, since the lower unit is pivoted to expose the convey path, the convey path cannot be sufficiently exposed. In order to eliminate this problem, the lower convey unit may be pivoted further downward. In this case, however, the height of the paper re-feeding apparatus is increased, resulting in an increase in height of the double-side copying machine as a whole.